


Stray Developments

by likestoimagine



Series: That one AU where Tadashi is totally alive [3]
Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: AU for HTTYD, Cat Cafe, Gen, Lucky Cat Cafe becomes the Lucky Cat Cat Cafe, becomes a thing solely because Hiccup has a propensity towards the unexpected, except for the obligatory 'alive Tadashi' thing, not quite so much for BH6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:54:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7847671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likestoimagine/pseuds/likestoimagine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somewhere between being introduced to the SFIT lab and discovering the truth about Big Hero 7, Hiccup also manages to mutate the Lucky Cat Café into the Lucky Cat Cat Café.</p><p>Tadashi was there, and he still doesn’t quite know what happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stray Developments

The first sign that something is up is when Hiccup, in all of his gangly red-headed glory, bolts into the lab the as fast as he can while gingerly holding a mysterious bundle in his arms - meaning that he’s not actually _fast_ about it, so Tadashi is ashamed to admit that it takes over half a day before _any_ of the resident SFIT geniuses cotton on to the strangeness. 

 

He still can’t tell if that’s a result of SFIT hyper focus making everyone in the lab blind to everything that’s not directly related to SCIENCE, that weird gift that Hiccup shares with Hiro for making weird things only seem suspicious in retrospect, or if it’s just that they’re all _really freaking unobservant._

 

In any case, Hiccup saunters in entirely too casually, transfers the mysterious bundle to the surprisingly sturdy alcove that he’s managed to make for himself solely out of his desk and a surplus of design sketches, and leaves with a supremely casual whistle and absolutely no one the wiser

 

Since the first sign completely flies over everyone’s heads, the second sign is what actually raises alarm bells. In this case, it’s when Wasabi returns to the world of non-particle physics with a confused furrow in his brow, and asks, "Does anyone else smell that?"

 

Fred looks up from where he’s sprawled out upside down over his couch, shifting his attention from the comic in his hands so that he can sniff at the air experimentally.  

 

"It smells like fish," he says after a pause, then adds, “Maybe it’s my invisible sandwich!”

 

Sometimes Tadashi wishes that, after a year and a half, he’d let that particular wish go. GoGo apparently agrees, because when she says, “Somehow, I doubt that. Someone probably just snuck food in and didn’t bother to clean up,” her voice practically drips with sarcasm and the implication that she’s rolling her eyes. 

 

Then, the doors open to reveal Hiccup… who narrowly avoid being brained by a flying drone. He dodges with a strangled yelp, somehow managing to stay upright and unharmed despite having tripped over his own two feet, so Tadashi almost puts the whole thing out of mind as he heads back to his lab.

 

Almost, except Hiccup tries to stroll in casually after that, rather than just blithely wandering towards his next project. 

 

It’s not an alarm bell, per se, but it’s enough for Tadashi to take note of, and he finds himself focusing a little more on Hiccup than normal.

 

Which is why he notices when Hiccup completely _freezes_ as Wasabi asks him, “Hey, do you smell fish in here?”

 

Unaware of the ‘troublemaker’ flags that are now waving merrily in Tadashi’s brain, Hiccup, completely unconvincingly, says, "I don't know what you're talking about, I don't smell anything, what are you talking about?” 

 

He then flashes Wasabi a strained, guilty grin before scurrying off to his corner with a nervous trill in his voice and a frantic, "Well, I'd love to chat, but I've got a lot of stuff to do, so, haha, I’ll talk to you later!”

 

That doesn’t really help his case any, even if Wasabi doesn’t really do much more than stare at him before shrugging and turning back to his work. It also doesn’t help that Hiccup tries to shove _something_  down the front of his baggy green sweatshirt upon reaching his desk, because piqued suspicion aside, he’s built approximately like a beanpole, and therefore can’t hide much with his back alone. 

 

So, Hiccup is looking pretty suspicious - if only to him - by the time that Hiro emerges from their lab and joins the main crowd. 

 

It’s been six and a half hours by now and he’s being followed by a waddling Baymax, chirping about _recommended breaks_ and _proper nutrition is important for a growing adolescent,_ but Hiro's out and functioning on more than caffeine, sugar, and pure disregard for all things sleep, so that’s totally a win. 

 

Apparently, it also means that his higher brain functions can be turned to more than just strange inventions, because Hiro immediately zeroes in on the mystery that is Hiccup.

 

Tadashi isn’t actually sure if that just means he’s homed in on the potential for shenanigans or if his ‘ignore me’ aura weirdness actually cancelled out Hiccup’s, but either way, he and Baymax simultaneously focus on the the scrawny boy - and more specifically, on the wriggling lump that’s badly hiding in his sweater.

 

Naturally, Hiro pounces on the aberration like a cat on a laser pointer. With the faked nonchalance that he saves for _really interesting things,_ Hiro asks, “So… what’re you hiding there?”

 

Hiccup barely even gets the chance to stammer bad excuses at them before Baymax adds, “I will scan you now. You appear to be holding a small mammal, whose temperature is - 100.6 degrees Fahrenheit - and…”

 

Baymax doesn’t get to finish, because that’s when the third and final sign reveals itself, in the form of a small black kitten with a tattered ear poking it’s head out of Hiccup’s jacket collar, blinking slowly and chirruping adorably. 

 

Hiccup freezes, and glances skittishly around at the others. 

 

Turning, Tadashi can see that of the lab, only their group of friends has really noticed anything was up, with mixed responses. 

 

Wasabi, for example, is simply staring and opening his mouth like he wants to say something, but has no idea what. Honey Lemon is beaming in that way she does when she sees small cute things for the first time (like Mochi or Hiro) while Fred reveals a wide grin that says ‘awesome!’ when he lowers (raises?) his comic, because he’s easily amused like that. From GoGo’s station, there’s the sharp slap of a palm hitting a forehead before the speedster turns around and sighs as she sees the kitten, and Hiro is quietly elated at both the cat’s presence and the fact that Hiccup tried to sneak it in.

 

Baymax raises a finger and states, “You appear to be holding a - small cat.”

 

oOoOo

 

Apparently Hiro and Hiccup can fuse their weird abilities to terrifying effect, because despite moving as a collective herd that stuffs itself through the back door and into an elevator, they manage to get the cat into the Hamada lab space with no one else being the wiser. 

 

Here (and completely oblivious to the powers at his disposal) Hiccup sighs and extracts the kitten from the dark recesses of his hoodie, setting the little scrap on the table before fishing a small can of water-packed tuna from his sweater pocket. The minute Hiccup pulls on the tab of the can, his kitten tries to shove its face into it, and once the can is set on the table, it happily demolishes its fishy offering. 

 

For a moment, the room is filled with nothing but the purrs of a kitten enjoying its food, which are much quieter than the sounds of Mochi enjoying his food. Hiccup smiles at the kitten while lightly scratching at it's neck, and everyone else waits for him to speak.

 

Tadashi's not sure what it is - if it's Hiro's creeping closer to try and pet the cat without scaring it, or if it's GoGo's raised eyebrow accompanied by the amused twitch of lip, or if it's Fred's completely unsurprised nonchalance, Honey’s line of sight shifting periodically down to the cat, Wasabi’s generally befuddled expression or even his own level gaze - but something loosens Hiccup's mood, makes him less a bundle of twitchy nerves and more willing to talk. 

 

When Hiccup looks up, Tadashi gives him what he hopes is an encouraging nod, and the brunet starts off, "Sooooo...I was on my way to school when I found her."

 

Gesturing vaguely at the bundle of black fur attacking its meal, like he's emphasizing his point and trying to jump start the words in his brain at the same time, Hiccup continues after a pause, "Yeah, so I found her, and she looked all scared and cold, so I figured that I'd warm her up and feed her, you know? Except I had to get to class, and I didn’t want to leave her there, so,” he shrugs, “I kind of decided to, well, take her with me.”

 

Hiccup fidgets in his chair, and nudges at the can of tuna when it starts to migrate dangerously close to the edge of the table. The others continue to sit in silence, until Wasabi finally asks, "But why'd you bring it in here? And I'm pretty sure you need written consent to have an animal in the labs."

 

"Her," Hiccup corrects, slightly irritable, "She's a her. And I figured that… well, that only half a day or so wouldn't be too much of a problem. I would have just kept her with me the whole time, but my next class was with Professor Estrada... and well.”

 

Wasabi nods in somewhat bemused understanding, and Tadashi can’t help but be proud of his friend, learning to adapt to the curveballs of life.

 

Also, yeah... Estrada is known to be a fair teacher, but she's also a stickler for rules and has made her disdain for the feline family particularly clear over the years. Of all the classes, Professor Estrada's is probably the worst to sneak a stray kitten into. 

 

But, while that does explain why there's a kitten in the lab, Tadashi still has no idea what Hiccup is planning to _do_  with her.

 

Honey apparently has a similar question, because she asks, "What are you going to do with her, then, Hiccup?", while leaning forward and scratching at the cat's torn ears cautiously. The kitten ignores her until she's done with her tuna, then turns and blinks amber eyes at Honey. "Are you going to put her up for adoption? She's adorable, I bet she'd get picked up really quickly."

 

Hiccup shrugs and rubs at the back of his neck, muttering, “I dunno, people tend to not adopt animals that are handicapped or scarred. Though, if you want to..."

 

He trails off hopefully and leans forwards, probably seeing how the kitten is now pushing at Honey Lemon's outstretched fingers and nudging her head into the pampering. It's perfectly understandable, but…

 

“Sorry,” Honey sighs wistfully, rubbing at the black kitten’s neck. “I’d have to talk with the apartment management first, and that could take a while… Plus, they get upset about my chem experiments for some reason, so I’m not sure how they’d react.”

 

And as much as Tadashi sympathizes with Honey Lemon, he can totally see where management is coming from. At least three of Honey's experiments have resulted in substances reminiscent of eldritch abominations, and eighty percent of them tend to make either loud explosion noises or high pitched keening noises before she can figure out how to either slow or stop the reaction. 

 

It's almost strange that they haven't kicked her out yet, but... well, she’s Honey, and no one really wants to see her leave. Plus, when she doesn’t have her chemistry blinders on, she’s really quite considerate of the other residents, and even provides baked goods  to the main lounge on a bi-weekly basis.

 

Still, she’s in a somewhat tenuous position at her complex as a result, he gets it. 

 

And if anything, Hiccup probably understands better than Tadashi himself does. It’s almost inevitable that he’d frustrate various bystanders after all, because of his propensity for small explosions and general chaos despite intent.

 

So, instead of contesting the point, he simply sighs, sags back into his chair, and says, ”That’s fine. I’d like her to get adopted by someone who loves her, though... and some adoption centers end up euthanizing the animals that don't get adopted quickly enough.” 

 

Which would be a lot more likely for a scarred cat, goes unsaid but implied. 

 

Hiro, who by this point is nearly face to face with the kitten and is scratching under her chin, says, “Well… we could keep her in the café for a few days while you talk to your manager, Honey,” with a hopeful glance aimed at Tadashi.

 

Tadashi takes in the look (three-fold now, since Hiccup and Honey Lemon have added their own puppy eyes to the mix), and he wonders. 

 

On one hand, it shouldn’t be a problem if it’s only for a few days, since Mochi is pretty good with strangers (due in part to acclimation in the café), but on the other… Aunt Cass does have a business to run. But she also really loves cats, so she might be willing… 

 

It’s not really up to him, but, “If Aunt Cass says yes, then I don’t see a problem with it.”

 

Honey and Hiro cheer. Hiccup starts to, then catches himself and tries to cover it with a cough, because for some reason he has his moments where he forces himself to act ‘like a proper viking’ before he completely forgets to. But in the end, it’s all smiles… then the mad dash to classes halfway across campus when people finally check the time. 

 

After that discussion, its just a matter of finishing class, heading over to the café as a collective, and explaining the story to Aunt Cass. She says the kitten can stay for a few days.

 

(The kitten ends up staying a lot longer. Her name is Dango.)

 

oOoOo

 

After Dango is more or less adopted into the Lucky Cat Café, Tadashi thinks that’s going to be the end of that. 

 

Clearly, that was before he got to know Hiccup, because if he’d known Hiccup better, he would have seen that the guy _always_ stumbles into these kinds of messes. Castella, a one-eyed grey tabby, can attest to that. So can Dai and Fuku, twin siamese cats who have a large bald scar running down her side and a missing tail respectively, and Hakuto, who is a three-legged tortoiseshell, among others. 

 

Yeah… after only a few months, it’s obvious that Hiccup is no stranger to the accidental acquisition of street-side strays. 

 

It’s not like it’s _bad_ or anything, but it has gotten to the point where Hiccup is a minor SFIT legend, solely because of the amount of time he spends with fluffy animals on his person. 

 

In completely unrelated news, the Lucky Cat _Cat_ Café becomes a thing, officially started as a cat shelter/adoption program when the required 501c3 nonprofit organization paperwork is filled out. 

 

Unofficially, it starts when Aunt Cass finally lobs an apron at Hiccup’s face and tells him that if he’s going to be mutating her business, he better be prepared to help deal with it so that she can focus on the _café_ half of things. 

 

Hiccup, once he peels the apron off of his face, is actually pretty happy with the whole situation - when Tadashi asks, he explains that with this he gets a job, a chance to hang out more with his new friends, and an unexpected side effect that actually ends up beneficial. So, he shrugs and goes with it, taking to both the caring of cats and the complete renovation of the cafe with equal - and almost manic - enthusiasm. 

 

Hiro and Tadashi approve - and add their own inventive flair into the mix. Which, in turn, means that the annex that they’ve managed to acquire for the cats, rather than being a simple room of cat trees and hideaways, also includes automated laser pointers, pressure-activated heater beds, ceiling spanning catwalks with automatic cat doors to the back room, and flying toy birds, among other things. 

 

It’s a work of art. It’s also is a bit of a time sink, meaning that Hiccup spends a lot of his time at the café when he’s not in the school labs. 

 

Since they all like him, it’s not much of a problem, except… Well, it does make it a bit harder to hide Big Hero 7 activities from him. 

 

Anyone else and it’d all be fine, but Hiccup is more curious than the cats that he cares for, and may have traded in his survival instinct for adventurous inquisitiveness at a young age. And, possibly because of his own talents, he’s weirdly resistant to Hiro’s ‘nothing to see here’ gift.  

 

Because of this, it’s a little worrying that Hiccup spends so much time in close proximity to their secret. Even so, they're not going to stop - not with the superheroing, and not with being Hiccup's friend. So it looks like they're going to just have to take it as it comes. 

 

oOoOo

 

Eventually (inevitably) Hiccup discovers the whole superhero schtick, and well… he’s not exactly the calmest of people even on the best of day.

 

That’s not to say that he’s scandalized by the secret identity thing, but yeah, he kind of freaks out a little. 

 

Though, that might be because Big Hero 7 finds out about his adopted dragon at the same time.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, this has been sitting in my computer for like, over a year now. Kinda glad that it's finally out, to be honest :)


End file.
